The Sharif family has stated that businesses facing bankruptcy are legally exempt from paying taxes, a position reportedly upheld by a British court in Hasan Nawaz’s bankruptcy case.
This clarification was issued by a family spokesperson following the UK court’s decision declaring Hasan, son of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, bankrupt in a tax and liability case.
According to UK laws, a bankruptcy order makes an individual insolvent, restricting them from acting as a company director without court permission until the bankruptcy is discharged. Despite this, Hasan remains associated with several companies in the UK. Bankruptcy orders are typically made public through the London Gazette.
Tracing the origins of the family’s financial difficulties, the spokesperson linked the challenges to the industrial nationalisation policy of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1972, which impacted the Sharif family’s businesses.
The spokesperson also referenced the confiscation of family properties and the sealing of factories during General Pervez Musharraf’s regime, along with what they described as injustices targeting their industries during the tenure of former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar.
The family claimed that such financial setbacks have been orchestrated four times, framing the situation as repeated attempts to penalise them. Despite these difficulties, the Sharif family reiterated their commitment to the nation, highlighting their sacrifices and financial losses for the greater good.
In response, PPP leader Nadeem Afzal Chan criticised the Sharif family for invoking the Bhutto era in defense of Hasan Nawaz’s bankruptcy declaration in the UK. Chan alleged that the bankruptcy was declared to evade taxes in Britain, accusing the family of following similar practices abroad as in Pakistan.
“You are declaring bankruptcy today, in the UK, and yet you bring up Bhutto. Be honest with the public,” Chan remarked. He further stated that he could disclose the full details behind the issue but refrained due to constraints imposed by the PPP leadership.
The Sharif family has yet to respond to these allegations, while the case continues to spark political debate.
